Today, I received an email from the White House chastising Americans for drumming up "phony scandals"" against the president. This is obviously another desperate attempt try to shame and intimidate Americans from holding their president accountable for his actions.

Let me ask:

-Is it a "phony scandal" when you are caught illlegally trafficking firearms to the Mexican drug cartels, especially whe...n those guns are tracked to more than 200 shooting victims?

-Is it a "phony scandal" when an American consulate is attacked on September 11 of last year and you and your cast lie repeatedly to the American public about what happened that night, who was to blame, how you blocked efforts to protect those in the consulate and those who bravely came to their aid? Is it a "phony scandal" that those who survived are being prohibited from testifying before Congress as to what happend?

-Is it a "phony scandal" that your IRS was used to intimidate and silence your opponents and that the trail leads right back to your political appointees in the White House?

-Is it a "phony scandal" that your administration violated the sanctity of the press when they secretly tracked telepone call of AP reporters?

-Is it a "phony scandal" when your DOJ judge shopped and filed false and misleading affidavits to get secret search warrants to spy on a Fox News reporter? How about when the Attorney General lied to Congress when he denied knowledge of such activities, knowing full well his signature was on the affidavit for the search warrant?

-Is it a "phony scandal" when it's revealed that you track the phone calls and emails of nearly all Americans and your administration is caught publicly lying to Congress when the question is raised in a hearing?

No Mr. President- these are not "phony scandals," these are part of a pattern of behavior that reminds us of 40 years ago.

You can insult the intelligence and character of the American people all you want, but you cannot and will not intimidate them into silence. It's their country and you are a temporary office holder, not the other way around.